102 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



Corvus senex, Schlegel, ' Notice sur le genre Corvus/ 1860, 

 p. 10($juv.). 



Corvus fuscicapillus, G. R. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1861, in 

 Table of New Guinea Birds. 



Hab. Aru Islands and Waigiou. 



British Museum, Coll. Wallace, and Mus. Leyden. 



X. — Recent Ornithological Publications. 



1. English Publications. 



The appearance of the two first parts of Mr. Gould's ' Birds of 

 Great Britain'* is certainly the most remarkable event that has 

 taken place in the ornithological world since we last addressed 

 our readers. Our brother-naturalists are, no doubt, well ac- 

 quainted with the previously issued volumes of Mr. Gould's 

 magnificent series. They must be aware, therefore, that there 

 is at present no series of illustrations of the birds of our native 

 country which at all equals in merit those which Mr. Gould has 

 given to the world of the Humming-Birds, the Toucans, the 

 Birds of Australia, and the Birds of Asia. It is true that Mr. Gould 

 has already some years ago published a work on the Birds of 

 Europe, the plates of which form the usual standard of reference 

 by English naturalists when treating of the European Avi-fauna. 

 But, in the first place, the * Birds of Europe ' is long since out 

 of print, and copies of it can only be obtained second-hand and 

 at irregular intervals. And, secondly, the science of ornithology 

 has made such rapid advances of late years, as, were the ' Birds 

 of Europe' still accessible, would nevertheless necessitate the 

 reissue of the work. We think, however, that Mr. Gould has acted 

 wisely in confining himself on this occasion to the feathered tribes 

 of our native islands. By so doing he keeps his work within 

 narrower limits, and is enabled to issue it in a shorter period 

 of time and at a less cost. And, besides this, he renders it 

 more attractive to the many field-naturalists that are scattered 

 over the broad surface of our fair mother-land, who will 

 gladly welcome a series of pictures of the familiar favourites of 



* The Birds of Great Britain. By J. Gould, F.R.S., &c. Parts I. and 

 II., fol. London, October 1, 1862. 



